Rue Returns
by goldie031
Summary: What happens when the youngest tribute in the 74th hunger Games crosses paths with the youngest victor of the Hunger Games? Check it out! Rated T just in case...
1. Authors Note

Hi Everybody!

Some of you may remember a few months ago when I wrote a story called "Rue Returns". Well, lets just say it didn't work too well, because I was having trouble with writing for Katniss.

This time, I'm trying again, and writing fora character I made up, named Lilac. Katniss plays a little role in the story, but Lilac is in the main character.

Wish me luck!

-Goldie031


	2. Backstory

**Here is the backstory for these games...**

Peeta was never reaped-but Prim was. Katniss volunteered for Prim, and instead of Peeta, a random, super-awkward boy was reaped and killed in the bloodbath. Most of the major plot events in the Hunger Games still happen, including rue's death and the mutts. Also, Katniss still wins the Hunger Games.

The card for the 75th Hunger Games read: "As a reminder to the rebels that even the youngest and the oldest played a role in the Dark Days, the only ages eligible for reaping are 19 and 11." Gale was reaped, and Katniss had to mentor him. Gale died in the final 10.

During those games, Peeta introduced himself to Katniss, because he wanted to ease her sorrow. They soon fell in love. Meanwhile, Prim fell in love with a boy named Damien O'Donnel. He was reaped for the 76th Hunger Games-and won.

Last year (the 84th Hunger Games) a little girl named Lilac was reaped. She had just turned 12 the day before the reaping, making her the youngest victor ever. She was 12 and a month, give or take a few days, when she won.

Now, Katniss is 26 and married to Peeta, and Prim is 22 and engaged to Damien. Katniss and Prim live next door to one another, with Haymitch on the other side. Katniss's mother lives with Prim.

Oh, and by the way, Katniss just had her 1st child a few months ago, so she is not mentoring this year.

**This should clear everything up for anyone who wants to submit a District 12 Tribute...**


	3. Chapter 1

**Here's the first real chapter of the story... Hope you like it!**

Lilac POV:

I was sitting on the couch watching the 85th Hunger Games. I have been given specific instructions to watch carefully, as I will be mentoring next year. Since I'm only 13, they wanted to give me a little break for mentoring this year.

Suddenly, my mom runs down the stairs. "Lilac, honey, the Capitol wants you for something."

Uh-oh.

"What?"

"They said it's classified information. They also said that if you don't come willingly they'll literally drag you onto the hovercraft."

Well, it looks like I have no choice on what to do.

"Lilac, hurry! They're sending a hovercraft any minute!"

I run upstairs and put a lilac shirt and jeans on. Then, I put my brown hair in pigtails and head downstairs to wait for teh hovercraft.

About 5 minutes later, a hovercraft with the seal of the capitol on the front touches down, which causes Katniss to stick her head out the window. "Hi Lilac. Everything ok?"

"Yes," I reply, "The Capitol needs me. How's Dalia?"

"She's as cute as ever. Have fun!"

"I will," I reply, and board the hovercraft.

I am led into an all-white room and I see a purple chair waiting there. Hmm. I wonder who's supposed to sit in that?

A man in a white lab coat comes in.

"Hello Lilac. My name is Doctor Grossman, and I am going to brief you on your mission."

"Oh, like a spy."

"You are so naive."

He presses a button and a projector lowers down and shines onto a wall. Aha, that's why the walls are all white.

The seal of the Capitol shines on the wall, and Dr. Grossman begins what seems to be a lecture. Great.

"The Capitol has begun research on bringing people and animals back to life. This will come in handy in 2 ways. (click) First, it will allow us to bring back esteemed government officials who died prematurely. Second, (click) it will help us to be able to reuse muttations, which will help us save money."

OK. So this is all for the benefit of the Capitol. Where do I come in?

"Now, Lilac, you're probably wondering where you come in."

Did he just read my mind?

"In order to test this serum, we've only tested it on small animals, such as cats, dogs, hamsters, and ferrets. We needed to test in on something a little bit bigger. So, we selected a tribute from one of the past Hunger Games. (click) The girl you see here on screen is named Rue McClellan. Rue was in the same Hunger Games as Katniss Everdeen, from your district. (click) Rue and Katniss were allies in the Games until the moment of Rue's death. (click) Katniss then covered Rue's body with flowers.

"Under normal circumstances, Rue would go back to her home district, District 11 after the operation. However, these are not normal circumstances. (click) Rue's parents are both in a nursing home right now, and her siblings are all in the middle of their own families. The next person we would send Rue to would be Katniss, however, Katniss, as you know, has her own daughter to deal with. So, Rue will be living with you."

So that's where I come in!

"Now, technically, we aren't bringing Rue back until tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"Well, the doctors figured it was best to bring her back the same day she died, which will be tomorrow. this way, she'll turn 13 the same day she's supposed to."

"I get it. If you're not bringing her back until tomorrow, then why did you get me today?"

"Well, we wanted you there early. You will be spending the night in the Capitol. Tomorrow, we will bring you to the hospital underneath the Training center where we will revive Rue. Katniss will revive her, and then you will accompany her through some basic test."

"Tests?"

"Just to make sure everything is functioning right in her body. There will be a few tests, but not too many. Rue will be staying a few extra nights at the Capitol to make sure everything is working properly. Then, you will accompany her to District 11, where she will greet her district and family, and then you'll go back to 12. rue will go back to 11 on any special occasions that pop up, as well as on Reaping day."

"Will she be a mentor?"

"There is a huge argument about that. The capitol has decided that she will mentor for either 11 or 12, but not both at the same time. she will have a house in the Victor's Village, but if they run out of room, she will be kicked out, so to speak, first."

Just then, we touch down in the Capitol. The projector slides back into the ceiling, and Dr. Grossman walks out.

I am led into a very comfortable room. Upon opening the drawers, I found an array of nightgowns. Tired of purple, I select a pink nightgown. Then, I take out my hair and put my hand on that cool box that automatically untangles your hair. My hair immediately falls onto my shoulders in nice, even waves. I brush my teeth and climb into the gigantic bed. As soon as I lay down, I feel like I'm on a cloud. It is so comfortable, and so cozy, that I fall right to sleep.


	4. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2. Anything in italics has been exerpted from the Hunger Games, copyright Suzanne Collins. I DON'T OWN THE HUNGER GAMES!**

Lilac POV: 

I wake up a little confused. Where am I? Then I remember what happened yesterday. I'm in the Capitol, ready to help them on some sort of a mission, to bring back a little girl and have her be my new sister.

I sit up, and go to my dresser to pick out an outfit. I put on a pretty, light pink dress, with pleats in the skirt, and black flats. I put a headband in my hair that matches the dress, and go out to breakfast.

When I get to the table, I find that my breakfast has been laid out for me. I put some eggs on my plate and sit down to eat.

Suddenly, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around, and Damian is standing there!

I jump up and give him a hug. Damian was so nice when he mentored me. I am so happy to see him here.

"Damian, why are you here?'

"The Capitol asked me to escort you to the hospital under the Training Center. Katniss is already there."

"What about Haymitch?"

"Haymitch is in the mentor room helping Delilah out in the arena. We don't want her suffering the same death that Malex did."

We both wince. Delilah, the District 12 female this year, has managed to survive until the final 8, but our male tribute, Malex, died in the bloodbath by - well, I'm not going to talk about it.

"Lets go. We're on a tight schedule."

I obediently follow Damian to an elevator. He presses a blue button, and the elevator plunges down, moves to the side, and plunges down even more. I can't help but think of an ancient book I read once, called _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_.

Finally, we arrive at the hospital. I am clutching onto one of the railings in the elevator, breathless and almost sick.

Damian rubs my back. Obviously, this is not the first time that Damian has ridden this elevator ride.

I step out of the elevator, and Damian leads me through corridor after corridor, twisting and turning. Finally, we reach a door. I motion to open it, but Damian stops me.

"Lilac, you can't go in there. Rue will be revived there. The only people allowed in will be Katniss and Rue. You will watch from this conveniantly placed window.'

I look to my right. Oh, there is a window there! Looking inside, I see Katniss sitting on a chair, wearing simple tawny pants, a light green blouse, a brown belt, a black jacket, and boots. **(A/N: Sound familiar?)** I wave. For some reason, she's not waving back!

"Lilac. It's a one-way mirror. She doesn't know that there is a window there. She thinks it's a mirror."

Oh.

Suddenly, a hovercraft appears in the room. A platform is lowered down, with a box inside. Dr. Grossman's voice says, "Katniss, take Rue's body out of the box."

Katniss obeys. I get my first real glance at rue. She has dark skin, and dark hair, and is dressed in the same outfit as Katniss. She is very pretty.

"Now, sit on the chair and lay Rue's body on your lap."

As soon as she does so, the room changes. Now, instead of looking like a hospital room, it looks like a Hunger Games arena. I see Katniss draw in a sharp breath; obviously, this was the arena in her Games.

A weird light shines on the wall facing Katniss. It is red, then yellow, then green. As soon as it turns green, Katniss begins to sing.

_"Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes_

_And when they open again, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm._

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when it's morning again, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm._

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you."_

The song is beautiful, reminding me of home in 12. As soon as she finishes the song, Rue's chest begins to slowly rise and fall, and her dark eyes flutter open.

* * *

><p><strong>So there's the chapter. If anyone has any ideas on better chapter division or a better title, please let me know.<strong>

**-Goldie031**


	5. Chapter 3

Lilac POV:

Rue cautiously sits up, taking in her surroundings. I restrain myself from bursting in and introducing myself, which would probably freak everyone out.

"Katniss, where am I?"

Before Katniss can answer, we hear Dr. Grossman's voice again.

"Great, Katniss. Thanks for playing your part. Ease Rue down to the floor. Careful. That's it. Now, Lilac, you can come in, and Katniss, go out the door that Lilac goes in. Damian will escort you to your hovercraft."

I walk in eagerly, nearly bouncing out of my flats. Katniss exits as I enter.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Lilac Lawson. I won last year's Hunger Games."

"What number Games were they?"

All of a sudden, the room changes. Now, the room is empty, and the floor is hardwood. Dr. Grossman enters, and for the first time, I can clearly see his deep brown eyes.

"Hello, Rue. My name is Dr. Grossman, and I am here to explain to you the events of the past 10 minutes and the schedule for the next few hours. The Capitol has been doing experiments on bringing things back to life. This will save us money, because we will be able to reuse mutts, and it will allow us to bring back government officials from the past to assist us in difficult decisions.

"Up until now, we have only tried out this serum on small things, ie dogs, cats, rabid guinea pigs..."

Rue and I exchange a glance.

"Yeah. That experiment went horribly wrong. We only tried it yesterday. Anyway, we needed to try it on either a human, or something bigger, and after the rabid guinea pigs, we didn't want to take a chance with any bigger animal, like a lion. So, we decided we needed a human. We decided to use a tribute, because that way, if we messed it up, it wouldn't be too bad. So, we selected..."

"Me," Rue says. "It probably helped that I'm so small."

"Yes, Rue it did."

"So, will I go back to 11?"

"Kind of. You'll live with Lilac, in 12, but you'll go back to 11 a few times a year, including reaping day."

Rue seems happy with this. She's smiling - I bet she can't wait to see her family again.

"So, Rue, we need to do some tests to make sure that every part of your body is working right. First, we'll do a basic physical test."

Rue is then made to run, skip, hop, crab-walk, bear-crawl, army-crawl, jump, and walk back and forth across the room. By the end, she's dripping with sweat and looks worn out. I find it kind of funny.

Rue sits down against the wall, and all of a sudden, the room changes again! Now, there is a padded table whit paper on it, 2 chairs, and a sink with cabinets above it and drawers under it.

"Rue, now we'll do your nervous system test. Don't be nervous, it'll be fast."

I roll my eyes at the awful pun.

"Now Rue, do you know what the nervous system is?'

"No."

"Ooh! I do! Can I explain?"

"Sure, Lilac!"

"The job of the nervous system is basically to control the body's actions." **(A/N: If anyone has a better explanation, let me know!)**

"Right, Lilac! So, this test is to make sure that the nervous system travels to all parts of your body. And this is just a warning - this is a very physical test."

Rue shudders, and with that, the test begins.

Dr. Grossman proceeds to pat, hit, tickle and scratch nearly every part of Rue's body. Rue is constantly trying to swat his hand away, but she is at least 100 pounds lighter than him, so it doesn't work.

"Great, Rue, you passed the test."

Rue sights a heavy sigh of relief. "What next?"

"The mind test."

The room changes again. Now there are 2 desks and a black board. It's a classroom! But a classroom means...

Great. This test is an actual test!

"Do I have to take the test, too?"

"Well, this is a digital test! We need to see what level of school Rue's mind is on, so the test will be on a tablet. Depending on the answer she selects, that will determine the next question."

Rue sits down and starts to work. About 30 minutes later, Rue sits up. "The tablet is blank!"

"That's because you're done. You did very well in all of the categories. On to our next test."

Rue and I wait for the room to change, but it doesn't. "Girls, follow me."

We are led to another room. Rue is looking around, very curious. All of a sudden, a room catches my eye. The room I recovered in after last games. I shudder, and, sensing this, Rue clutches my hand.

A few doors down, Dr Grossman stops. "All right, girls. Here's what's going on. This is an ancient device called an MRI. Rue, we will slide you into the tunnel. You must stay completely still, and the device will take pictures of your inner organs. This way we can make sure that everything is working. Lilac, you will wait out here. OK?"

"Fine."

"Rue, come with me."

They enter the room, and I sit outside, crossing my fingers, hoping that everything will go OK.


	6. Chapter 4

**If you're getting tired of Lilac, you can meet another character later in this chapter!**

* * *

><p><span>Lilac POV:<span>

I can't stand the suspense. SO many things could happen to Rue in that ancient MRI thing. I have no idea what that thing even is!

The door opens, and Rue walks out. I jump up. "Everything OK?"

"Fine. Dr. Grossman said he couldn't find anything wrong. I'm perfectly healthy!"

"Thank goodness!"

All of a sudden, I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I literally jump 6 feet in the air. "DAMIEN! What did you do that for?"

"Because I wanted to."

Ugh. Damien can be kind of annoying.

"And you must be Rue. You've been on the mind of every D12 mentor for the past week!"

Rue blushes. I can tell that she's not necessarily used to this kind of attention.

Dr. Grossman exits the room. "Rue is perfectly healthy! I couldn't find anything wrong with her!"

"Great. So go on with the rest of the plans for today?"

"Yes." Dr. Grossman leaves, and Rue and I turn to Damien, who is obviously our "guardian" now.

"All right, girls. Now we're going to go get some lunch, and then it's time for a treat!"

I perk up. This'll be fun!

Damien leads Rue and I to an elevator. We take the elevator in a very similar way to the way I rode it earlier: up, to the side, and up some more. By the time we come up to solid ground, I am going to be sick. Rue looks downright green. Damien quickly takes us to the chairs laid out, and we sit in silence for a minute.

Finally, we start to feel better. Damien lays out some food. Roast beef, peas, and rolls. I am allowed to have what I want, but Rue has controlled portions. I think that's because they don't know how her body will react.

"All right, girls. Today, we get to go to the mentor room!"

"Really? I've never been there! This'll be so cool!"

"Lilac. Don't think this is a trip for fun. You will do a little bit of learning how to be a mentor. And we're at a good point in the games. We're at what I call...

"The climax!"

Great.

After lunch, Damien leads us to the elevator. "Not again!" Rue exclaims.

"No. We're taking the stairs."

Rue and I take two steps to the left. "Oh. The stairs."

"One flight down, girls."

We head down the stairs, and see a big black door. "All right, girls! Behind this door is the mentor room. Are you ready?"

We nod.

"Let's go!"

And Damien opens the door.

* * *

><p><span>Delilah POV:<span>

Boy, for a D12 tribute, I'm doing pretty well. The second 12-year-old reaped in 2 years for 12, and the second time she's made it to the top 7!

Well, that probably had something to do with my smarts. I'm the smartest in my year in school! So, when it started to snow last night, I knew exactly what to do. I packed the snow into a wall blocking the edge of the Cornucopia. Before closing it up, I threw some of the Careers' supplies in there, as well as mine. Then, I threw more snow in, dove through the hole, and finished the wall. Now I'm protected from anything. I wonder if there's a camera in here.

Looking through one of the slots in the Cornucopia, I can see the career camp, and the edge of the mountain.

Yup, this arena is on a mountain. And once the Careers figured out that you can kill someone by pushing them off of the mountain, well, lets just say there were 12 deaths the first day. So then, the games went slowly, until today. I bet the Careers will explode.

BOOM!

Yup. I was right.

* * *

><p><span>Lilac POV:<span>

Is it possible to lose a tribute?

I've been in the mentor room for five minutes, and already things are not going as planned.

Haymitch and Damien are crowded around Haymitch's monitor, trying to find Delilah. They just can't find her.

So, Rue is on Finnick's lap and I'm on Annie's. We're both watching the screens, and I'm wondering what happens when a tribute dies.

BOOM!

Enobaria's screen goes black, and Brutus pats her on the back. Cashmere and Gloss exchange a glance. I wonder if they have telepathy!

"Damien!" Rue exclaims. "Come and take a look at this!"

Damien runs over. "Look at the cornucopia. Do you see how there's a wall of snow in front of it?"

"Yeah..."

"I bet that Delilah's in the Cornucopia!"

"Right! Smart, Rue!"

BOOM!

This time, Cashmere's screen goes black, so she turns and watches Gloss's screen.

"Now, girls, this is what we call the Career blow-up," Damien explains. "Every Games, once the rest of the tributes are gone, the Careers turn on each other. Usually, one is left, but with the mountain, it may be whoever is behind that wall of snow."

"You mean Delilah."

"Right."

BOOM!

That's 3 careers down in 10 minutes! Wow.

Now, Gloss's screen has blacked out, but I see something interesting.

"Finnick. Look!"

We both look at the side of the screen. The careers are so busy sword fighting, they don't realize that they are fighting by the edge of the mountain!

Finnick realizes this, too, but he can't do anything! The D2 guy stabs his sword into the D4 girl, and, all of a sudden, Finnick covers my eyes.

BOOM!

By the time I can get up, Annie's screen is black. I don't think I want to see what happened to her.

Now, the guys from 4 and 2 are duking it out. Lunging, parrying, running, they're all over the mountain, until the guy from 2 is at the edge. The 4 guy starts to charge with his sword. But what he doesn't realize is that the momentum in his running will carry him forward, and, if he doesn't stop right when he stabs the other guy, then...

BOOM! BOOM!

Exactly. He'll fall over the edge.

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms over the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the victor of the 85th Hunger Games, Delilah Laurel-Ember of District Twelve!

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think of Delilah? Do you like her? Should she have won? Read and review!<strong>

**-goldie031**


	7. Another Authors Note

I'm sorry this isn't a real chapter, I just wanted to get SOMETHING out for this story!

So, I don't know if anyone is reading my other story, "The 100th hunger Games", but it's hard to juggle 2 stories at once. So, I might not necessarily update this one so often, but I promise I'll try my best. Maybe at least once a month, OK?

Meanwhile, while you're waiting, why not read my other story?

-Goldie031


	8. Chapter 5

**So, here's the next chapter. It will be the longest yet.. or maybe not, I haven't decided it! Either way, we will see more of Delilah here, as well as...**

**Well, you'll see! Here goes!**

* * *

><p><span>Lilac POV:<span>

She did it.

Delilah won.

I can't believe the luck 12 has had lately. 4 victors in about 10 years.

Damien and I are celebrating, but Rue is concentrating on the screen, like something is wrong.

"Guys, come look at this."

Rue is watching the Cornucopia. If things were going OK, Delilah would burst out of there triumphantly.

But she isn't.

Nothing is happening.

OK, another science lesson! If snow stays in a position overnight for too long, it'll freeze in place. So that means that Delilah is stuck.

Obviously, the Gamemakers have figured this out too, because, when the hovercraft lands, a force with pick-axes comes running out.

"Miss Laurel-Ember, we would really appreciate it if you backed up to the tail, so to speak, of the Cornucopia. This way, we can break the wall of snow without injuring you."

"OK!" comes the cheery voice from inside. The squad immediately starts slamming at the wall. 5 minutes later, it breaks.

Delilah looks none the worse for wear. Obviously, she's been taking good care of herself. Healthy, slimmed down, happy...

She walks over to the hovercraft and boards it. The hovercraft takes off.

Rue and I are ushered to a room with a table and three chairs. Damien takes the third seat.

"OK, girls, here's the plan for the next few days. Delilah may/may not need a recovery period. Regardless, we will not have her victor's presentation until at least tomorrow night. So, tomorrow, Rue will have her debut interview, so to speak, at 7 PM, and at 8 PM, Delilah will have her victor's presentation, if she's up to it.

"Then, the next day, Rue, you will go and pay a visit to 11. You will re-meet your family get to know everyone again, etc. Then, you will head to 12. With luck, your arrival in 12 will coincide with Delilah's, assuming she does her victor's presentation tonight.

"OK?

"Got it!" Rue and I say in unison.

Then, she yawns. I forgot how late it is! It's nearly dinnertime! Damien snaps his fingers, and Avoxes appear with dinner.

Macaroni and cheese! Yes!

Rue's portions are slightly less controlled now, but she's still being watched. I, however, am allowed to have as much as I want, which is good, because I love mac and cheese!

After dinner, Rue and I are about to go up, but Damien says, "Wait!'

We sit down.

"So, tomorrow, we need to get you guys completely ready for the interviews, and that might take a while. Rue, you need 10 hours of sleep tonight. So, can you guys do some of this prep tonight?"

I glance at Rue. She nods her head, so I nod mine.

"Perfect, girls. So, come with me."

As we walk, I whisper to Rue, "You do know that the 'getting ready' is probably going to be what they usually do when the tributes are in the remake center?"

"Yeah."

"So, why'd you agree?"

"Well, I learned from coming back to life that you have to be thankful for what you have."

I nod.

"OK. Lets do this together," she says, and reaches out her hand.

"Together," I reply.

When we get to the elevator, which took a really long time, for some reason, Rue and I gulp. But, this time, the elevator only goes sideways. When the doors open, I immediately recognize the place.

We're in the training center.

Rue notices my stiffness, and rubs my back. She knows where we are, too. I keep forgetting that she was also here, so many years ago.

"So, why don't you girls go to your rooms, and your prep teams will be there in a minute. Lilac, you will have your old prep team, as they are not working with Delilah, and Rue, you will also have your old prep team."

I go into my room, and my prep team comes in. Lysander is really tall and muscular. Hestia is calm and pretty. And Aelia is always bouncing off the walls.

After about an hour, they've waxed my legs. Damien comes in and tells them to let me go to bed. They leave, with calls of, "See you tomorrow!"

"We need to be up at 7, Lilac, so Rue needs to be asleep by , OK?"

"Got it. What time is it now?"

"8, so the two of you have an hour."

He leaves, and almost immediately, Rue comes in.

"Do you want to have a snack?" she asks sweetly.

"Sure. What do you want to get?"

"How about bread?"

"Naah. Oh, I know! Taffy!"

"What's that?"

"Here. I'll show you."

I go to the speaker on the wall. "Can I have 2 bags of saltwater taffy, please?"

The two bags come sliding down the slide. I give Rue one, and take one myself. Then, I pick out a piece. It's become a near delicacy to me to have taffy. I adore it.

I pick out a piece. Green with a pink center. "Yes! Watermelon! My favorite!"

Immediately, I pop it into my mouth.

Rue tentatively takes out a piece. "It's white with a yellow swirl. What is it?"

"Pina colada."

Rue takes a small bite, then a larger one, then a huge bite! "Wow, it is good!"

"Here, try this one," I say as I grab a yellow one out. "Banana."

"I like it!" she exclaims.

We go back and forth for a while picking out pieces and sharing them. I've never had any time like that with anyone.

"Lilac?" she asks timidly.

"Yes?"

"Do you like me?"

She couldn't have asked a harder question.

"Of course, Rue. You're like a sister to me."

"Technically, I'm supposed to be your sister."

We giggle.

"But, in all seriousness, we're going to have to get to know eachother."

"I know."

"Nine o'clock, girls!" Damien yells.

"Oh, I have to go. Goodnight, Lilac."

"Goodnight, Rue."

She goes out my door and closes it. I watch her go.

Strange. We've known each other for less than 24 hours, and I already feel as if we are actually related.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about this. I honestly thought the chapter was done! But, anyway, here is the completed version. <strong>

**I don't kow if any of you have read my more-frequently-updated SYOT, the 100th Hunger Games. I'd love if you did, though.**

**Also, please bear with me. I have no idea how to work the next chapter, but I'll get it. Thanks for being so patient!**

**-goldie031**


	9. Chapter 6

**So, here is the next chapter. I'm so sorry this has taken me so long, but I'm having trouble balancing two stories. Also, I am not going to do any more of Delilah's POVs. It's just too difficult for me. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

><p><span>Lilac POV:<span>

"AAAAHH!"

I bolt upright in bed. The sunlight is already streaming in the window.

"Katniss. Katniss! HELP!"

That's Rue.

I dash into her room. She's tossing and turning in her bed, yelling for Katniss. Damien follows me in, followed by Dr. Goodman.

"What should we do?" I timidly ask.

"Wake her up," Dr. Goodman says.

I lightly shake her, and she bolts upright, like I did, just a few minutes earlier.

"Trap... Marvel... spear... blood... black..." she mutters. Then she takes a breath, and speaks again.

"What happened? I was back in the Arena, and Marvel was there, and he trapped me, and..."

We all breathe a HUGE sigh of relief.

"What?" Rue asks. She looks genuinely confused.

"Rue," Damien explains, "Nightmares are perfectly normal after you get out of the Arena. They'll probably be worse for you, though."

"Oh," she says timidly. "But then I'll have a nightmare every night!"

"Not every night, and we'll be there to help you through it."

"Be-be-be-beep!" We hear a beeping sound coming from Damien's pocket.

"One second." He takes out a walkie-talkie.

"Damien here... yeah... oh, OK. I'll let them know. Over and out!"

He turns to us, looking sort of excited. "OK, girls, Delilah is almost done with her Remake period. This means that her victor interview is tonight. And that means..."

"My interview is tonight, as well."

"Right, Rue. So we need to get you ready. After breakfast, go to your rooms for the prep teams to hurry. After you are dressed and ready, we will discuss strategy for the interviews. Ok?

"All right," we answer. We go to the table and see waffles set out with different toppings. I take three, one at a time, and eat each with syrup and whipped cream. Then, we head to our rooms.

My prep team comes and finishes up pretty much what they started yesterday. It takes a few hours. Then, we start with makeup. My blue eyes pop out thanks to brown eyeliner both under and over them. Just the slightest tough of mascara has been used to help make my eyelashes bigger, and purple eye-shadow has been used. I'm not sure why. Aelia carefully uses pink lip gloss on my lips which makes them shine. Lysander carefully curls my hair.

"Close your eyes," Hestia instructs. She sprays my hair with something she calls hairspray. Then, my stylist, Cinna, comes in.

"Hello, Lilac. I have your dress. Close your eyes," he instructs. I oblige. I feel itchy tulle on my body, followed by the comforting feel of silk, and Lysander helps me into my shoes. They are definitely not heels. I feel something cool on my neck.

"Open."

When I open my eyes, I'm stunned. I'm wearing a lilac purple dress with lilacs around my waist, but just the front. I was right about my shoes; I'm wearing silver flats. Around my neck is a silver, heart-shaped locket. I love how it looks, but...

"This seems a little young for me. Why?"

"Damien will explain that. Now, I have to go. Remember, I'm Delilah's stylist as well, and I have to get her ready for her interview. Good luck. I know you'll do great."

He gives me a kiss and heads off.

My prep team gives me something they call a protein bar. They say it'll give me a lot of energy. Then, they straighten out my dress and fix up my makeup for a bit before giving me the OK to go. "Good luck!" Lysander says as I leave.

I head out of my room and see Rue sitting at the table. She looks great! She's wearing a blue dress with light blue flowers, like mine, around her waist. She's wearing black sandals and blue barrettes in her air. **(See A/N at end of chapter)**

"You look nice, Lilac."

"You too, Rue."

"Lilac," Damien adds, "Come and take a seat."

I olbige.

"Here's the deal. If ANYone in ANY district gets wind that one of you had something to do with this district, we will have a problem, because it could start a rebellion. And that would be REALLY bad. So, you guys need to play up the innocent angle. You had no idea what happened or why it did. Lilac, you're just happy to have a new sister, and Rue, you are just happy to be alive and be able to see your family again. Got it?" Damien says seriously. We nod.

"Good. Now, it's 5:00, and the presentation is at 7. Haymitch will come up when it's time to get you guys ready. I have to go and see Delilah."

Rue and I sit and talk until about 6:30. Haymitch comes up and says, "Come on, girls. We have to go.

We head to the elevator. Haymitch pushes the button that says "B" on it. We plunge about 15 stories down. When we go out, we notice the blue carpet that is usually on the stage. Usually, the victor rises from under the stage. Rue notices my confusion.

"What's going on, Haymitch?" I ask.

"Well, since Rue isn't a victor, we won't be doing the ceremonies that usually go along with it. Right now, we're behind the stage. When the doors slide open, Rue, just walk through them."

"What about me?" I ask.

"Come with me," he says.

"Hey, Rue."

"Yeah, Lilac?"

"Good luck."

"You too."

Haymitch leads me around a corner. "Lilac, when Caesar says, 'Please welcome, Lilac Laurel-Ember!', you'll walk on stage and sit on the couch. The whole thing will go about half an hour, which will give them time - about 15 minutes - to set up for Delilah's victor presentation, OK?"

"All right."

"The program starts in about ten minutes. Good luck."

I take a deep breath. The way I present myself here is incredibly important. Suddenly, I hear the roar of the crowd. Caesar says, "Please welcome Lilac Laurel-Ember!"

Showtime.

I walk onto the stage, with a big smile, holding my head up high. I stand for a second, basking in the applause, and then sit down next to Ceasar.

"So, Lilac, how has your life been since the Victory Tour?"

"Pretty great, Caesar! I have been having a great year. After all, I'm alive!"

"Right you are. You've been pretty busy the past few days, haven't you?"

"Yup, I have. It has been a wild ride! But I'm happy about the result."

"Would you like to tell about it?"

"Um... not really, Caesar. To be honest, I'm a bit scared of that."

"Well, OK? The Capitol has done experiments with bringing things back to life. We'd done it with animals, including small dogs, but never a human. Well, that is about to change, and we found the perfect human to test it on; a tribute from the Hunger Games, one of the smallest, and one that died in a recent Games. Ladies and gentlemen, from the 74th Hunger Games, Rue Vera!"

I take a deep breath as the doors open. Oh, Rue, please get this right!

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><p><strong>I'm sorry this chapter took me so long, but I'm working on balancing two stories, and I want to work on getting that done. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I liked writing it. There will be about three chapters left. I am starting immediately on the next one, mainly because I'm a bit hindered on the other story. Anyway, I know that this took a while, and I can't wait to finish it.<strong>

**I know that the dress I used for Rue here is the same dress that she wears in the movie. But, in the book, she wears a dress that looks nothing like the dress in the movie, so I just figured I'd use the movie's dress.**

**I hope you liked the chapter, and I can't wait to show you my next one!**

**-goldie031**


	10. Chapter 7

**So, here is the next chapter. I was wrong; there will be three more chapters after this one. Then, I start another story. I won't tell you the title, but I can tell you that I'm REALLY excited to start it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>Rue walks out confidently, with a hint of youthfulness. She has a smile on her face. The Capitol sighs and then applauds. I heard from Katniss that Rue was actually a pretty popular tribute her year, so this should make the Capitol happy.<p>

Rue sits down next to me on the couch. She is smiling, but visibly nervous.

Caesar starts by saying, "So, Rue, first and foremost, what was the last thing you remember before dying in the Games?"

"Well, Marvel stabbed a spear into me, and then Katniss killed him. She took me out of the net, promised me that she would win, and then she sang to me."

"And then..."

"The world went black, and then white. I... I thought something happened in between when that happened and when I woke up, but... I can't seem to remember."

"That's odd," Caesar says. "What was the first thing you remember when you woke up?"

"Well, Dr. Grossman, the person who helped me through everything, was smart. He had me wake up in the exact same situation that I passed away in. In the woods in the arena, on Katniss's lap, with her singing to me."

"That was smart on his part. What was the first thing you thought when you woke up?"

"What the heck is going on?"

The crowd giggles.

"No I'm serious," she continues. "Pretend you were in complete darkness for 10 years. Then, suddenly, you see light, and trees, and a familiar face. Would you have any idea what's going on?"

"No," Caesar admits.

"So, imagine then how I felt when I saw Katniss and I clearly remembered dyeing. I was so confused. To make matters worse, Dr. Grossman picked that moment to talk over the loudspeaker to give instructions without giving anyone a chance to explain to me what was going on. So you can see why I was confused."

"Aha. Now, Lilac, what were you doing at this time."

"Well..." I begin, "I was watching what was going on through a one way mirror, only I didn't know it was a one-way mirror. So, I basically made a fool of myself."

"Oops. Rue, what was your first impression of Lilac?"

"Well, let's remember, I was really confused at the time. And suddenly, a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl walks, nearly skips, in, and I knew that she was DEFINITELY not in the Hunger Games with me. Until the room changed, and Dr. Grossman explained everything to me, I was a bit confused."

"Lilac, what was your first impression of Rue?"

"I thought that she was sweet and nice. It's kinda hard to have a first impression of someone when you first see them in a wooden box."

"What did you have to do after you were brought back, Rue?"

"I had four tests. Nervous system, physical, mental, and an MRI. An MRI is an ancient device that uses magnetic waves to take pictures of the inside of a body. It turns out that some ancient devices are kind of useful!"

The crowd laughs again.

"Well," Caesar continues, "Rue, what's next?"

"Well, I head home to 11 to say hi, and then go with Lilac to 12, until we're sure I'm OK."

"Will you go back to 11?"

"Once a year, on reaping day, unless there is an important family event, like a death, birth, or marriage."

"What will be the weirdest thing about going back home?"

"Well, before my Games, I was the oldest, and now, I will probably be the youngest. It will be an odd change for all of us. It would be ESPECIALLY bad if my parents had any more children. Especially if they named one after me. They wouldn't know me. It would be like meeting a distant family member for the frist time."

"What are you most looking forward to back in 11?"

"Seeing my family and friends. I missed them SO much in the Arena!"

"Lilac, are you excited to go to 11?"

"Well, as you know, I was just there on the victory tour. It is beautiful there, with all of the grain swaying in the wind. I hope that the people there don't have really hard feelings toward me, as I am a victor. So I'm excited, but a bit nervous as well."

"Rue, what are you looking forward to in going to 12?"

"It's a new adventure. Something different and unique. I'm excited. Especially to see Katniss again, when I'm more sane than I was last time."

The crowd laughs again.

"Lilac, what are you the most scared about bringing Rue to District 12?"

"Well, District 12 has a much different air than District 11. I'm scared she won't be able to breathe it."

"So... oops, we're out of time. Thank you so much, Rue and Lilac. Stay tuned for the Victor's Presentation. Goodbye for now!"

A few seconds later, Caesar nods to us. "We're clear. Great job, girls! You are so cute!"

We are escorted off of the stage and over to a hovercraft. Rue shudders; hovercrafts take people to the arena, where she met her death.

"Why a hovercraft?" I ask Damien, who seemed to magically appear.

"We wouldn't be able to get Rue back fast enough any other way. She needs to be back tomorrow morning, and 11 is about as far away from the Capitol as you can get. So, speed is of the essence. Get on the hovercraft!"

We oblige. When we get on, we find a room for each of us, and I find my bed and fall asleep.

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><p><strong>So, that's the chapter. After this we have Rue's return to 11, then her going to 12, then one more chapter, then possibly the epilogue. Now, I am leaving for camp on June 26th, and I can't guarantee that I will finish the story by then, but I'll try!<strong>

**I hope you liked the chapter. PLEASE vote on the poll on my profile, ic you can.**

**-goldie031**


	11. Chapter 8

**OK, so here's the next Rue Returns chapter. I'm extremely excited for this, and I'm sure that this is the longest chapter I've ever written... 8 pages (4 front and back) written out. Awesome, right? I can't wait for you to read!**

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><p>"Lilac, up! Now!"<p>

I groggily open my eyes to see Damien standing by my bed.

"Come on. We land in 11 in about an hour and a half."

"Where's Rue?"

"Already getting ready. Move!"

I quickly get up, brush my hair and teeth, and throw on a robe. Then, just in time, Cinna comes in.

"Good morning, Lilac!"

"Good morning, Cinna! What am I wearing today?"

Cinna hands me a sleeveless, sky-blue dress with a white blouse to go underneath. He braids my hair into two braids and ties a sky-blue ribbon at the bottom of each braid. Then, I slide on a pair of white sandals. Cinna applies a little bit of blush and some clear lip gloss, and pronounces me ready to go.

Suddenly, the hovercraft lands with a jolt, and I fall into Cinna's arms. "Careful, we don't want you getting hurt." He then leads me into a small room behind the stage. "All right. In a minute, you'll pass through these doors onto the stage. Just say what you prepared earlier and be natural. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Go."

I walk through the doors, seeing all of District 11 staring at me. Rue's family is on a raised platform directly in front of the stage. There is a smattering of applause, and I begin to speak.

"Citizens of District 11. Today we are here to welcoming home a girl who has been through a lot more than someone her age should go through. She was brought back to life only a few days ago, and has proven incredibly resilient in that time. I present to you, Rue McClellan!"

Rue emerges from a door in the back. She's radiant in a sparkling white dress that falls to the middle of her calf. She wears 1-inch sparkly heels and sparkly make-up. Her hair has been straightened and pulled back in a sparkly white headband. She approaches the microphone and starts to speak.

"It is so nice to be back here at home. The last time I left, I never thought I'd see home again.

"First, I realize that some people here were probably not even alive when I was in my Games. Allow me to introduce myself.

"My name is Rue McClellan. I was reaped as the District 11 Female tribute for the 74 th Hunger Games. I allied with Katniss Everdeen, made it to the top 8, and then got killed by the District 1 male.

"When I was 5, I went into the apple orchard and sat under a tree. I laid down and saw the way the sunlight shines through the leaves on the tree. It was so pretty. I told myself that, when I become an adult, I'd come back to that tree. I think I'll go back today.

"To the people of District 11: Thank you for your support during the Games. Your sponsor gifts were incredibly comforting, and really made me feel like I was sort of at home.

"To the government of 11: Thank you for being so caring to my family after my death. I do appreciate the help.

"And to my family. I would not be the girl I am today without you. I love you."

Rue takes the three middle fingers of her hand, kisses them, and reaches them out towards her district. They do the same in return.

As Rue steps back, I approach the microphone.

"I am sure you all know me. My name is Lilac Laurel-Ember, and I was the Victor of the 84th Hunger Games. I have been assigned as Rue's caretaker. I would like to explain what will happen to Rue after she leaves District 11 later today.

"Rue will return with me to 12. While in 12, she will visit 11 (a) on Reaping Day and (b) when a special event happens in her family, such as a birth, marraige, or death. Rue will stay in 12 until her body regains control of herself. Then, she can choose to live in 11 or 12, but she must be in one of those two districts. Should she select 12, she will still visit 11, with the aforementioned rules applying. Should she select 11, those rules will obviously not apply.

"As Rue's caretaker, I will do everything in my power to keep her safe and sound. Thank you for trusting me with her."

Everyone applauds as Rue and I are led into a room to meet with Rue's family.

* * *

><p>First to enter the room is Rue's mother. She looks at Rue, Rue looks back, and they embrace.<p>

"I never thought I'd see you again," Rue's mother says.

"Same, except..."

They embrace again.

Rue motions to me. "This is Lilac. She's so nice, and I really appreciate her helping me over the past few days."

I step forward to shake her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. McClellan."

"Call me Willow," she replies. "I'm so happy that my little Rue has someone to take care of her."

Next, Rue's father comes in. He picks her up and spins her around, with Rue giggling like a little girl. "Daddy, Daddy!" she squeals.

"Oh, Rue," he says. "I so missed doing this," he says, pulling her into a hug.

I approach the two.

"Oh, Daddy, this is Lilac," Rue says.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he says. "I'm sure that you'll be like family to us very soon."

Then, 4 of Rue's siblings come in. All of them seem to be older than her.

"They were all younger than her when she left for her Games," Rue's mom says, startling me. Ivy is now 21, Dalia is 18, Iris is 16, and Poppy is 13, so about your age."

Rue embraces each of her siblings in turn. Then, she suddenly looks confused.

"1, 2, 3, 4... I had a brother!"

Ivy looks at her mother.

"Flan was reaped for the 81st Hunger Games," Willow explains. "He was 15."

Rue looks sad for a moment. Then, Ivy says, "Rue, guess what! I'm getting married next month!"

"Really? Wow! I can hardly believe it! I remember when you would have imaginary weddings and make Iris be the groom!"

They all laugh.

"I've survived 2 reapings," Poppy proudly announces. "Dealing with the tension is so difficult," she adds.

"I'll help you out for the rest of your reapings, Poppy. Been there, done that!"

"Will you be eligible anymore now?" Dalia shyly asks.

"No; I'll be mentoring now. Ironically, sometimes, I may have to mentor kids older than me!" Rue says.

"Oh, one more thing. Guys, this is my friend, Lilac. Poppy, she's 13, like you," Rue says. All 4 of them turn to me. Poppy runs right up to introduce herself.

"Hiya!" she enthusiastically exclaims.

"Hi," I reply. "I'm Lilac."

"Poppy."

Poppy and I sit down on the couch. She seems really open and nice. I can't wait to learn more about her.

"If you want, I can tell you about all of us," Poppy offers.

"Why don't you tell me the basics now and tell me the rest later," I suggest.

"OK! Ivy is the leader, Dalia is shy, and Iris is smart. Good?"

"Yup."

"Now, Rue, I had 5 more kids after your Games," Willow says.

"How did your body put up with it?" Rue asks, amazed.

"Well, Daisy will most likely be my last. Daisy, honey! You can come in now!"

A little girl in a yellow sundress skips in. She is the only sibling of Rue's that I've seen with white skin.

"Actually, Daisy was adopted," Willow admits, "but don't tell her that. My real 5th child is in utero."

"And she wants ME to deliver him!" Ivy exclaims.

"Hi, I'm Daisy!" she exclaims. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rue, your sister. I was on a long(underline) trip, but now I'm back."

"OK!"

Daisy hugs Rue, and then snuggles up to Poppy. Suddenly, it seems, she notices me.

"Are you my sister too?" she asks me.

"No," I reply. "I'm just one of Rue's really good friends. Maybe someday I'll be like a sister to you, too!"

"OK!" Daisy exclaims.

"Daisy is very easygoing and sweet, as you can tell," Poppy says.

Next, a girl who also looks about Rue's age cautiously enters the room. She says, "I'm Rosie. I was born right after your Games. I've heard the most about you of the younger half, and I know where you went."

Rue and Rosie embrace, and Rosie sits down right next to Rue.

"Rosie's 11, and very sensitive. She knows a lot for a girl her age. But, she can also be spunky sometimes. It's an interesting combination."

"I bet!"

Next, a third girl, in between the ages of Rosie and Daisy, enters.

"This should be interesting," Poppy whispers to me. "That little girl is also named Rue. She may be the sweetest of all of us."

"Mommy and Daddy named me Rue, after you. They said you were very brave, but they never told me why, or what happened. Now what? There's two Rues!"

Rue looks up at her parents with glistening eyes. "You named one of your kids after me?"

"We couldn't not. We missed you too much!"

Rue looks at the young girl. "Do you have a middle name?"

"Lily."

"So, we'll call you Rue Lily and me Rue. OK?"

"OK!" she replies.

"Oh, Rue Lily, Rosie, this is Lilac. She's really nice.

"I know who you are," Rosie says. "You won last year."

"I did," I reply. "I can't wait to get to know you as well."

Willow looks around, confused. "Scythe," she says, addressing Rue's father, "where are Thresh and Vine?"

"Let me go find them."

Scythe runs out of the room to find the boys. After about 5 minutes, he returns holding 2 boys, a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old, by their collars.

"Rue, this is Vine and Thresh. They're your brothers. Vine is 8 and Thresh is 6."

He lets the boys down and they run to her.

"Hi!" Vine yells. "Do you want to play with us? We're being cowboys."

"No thanks," Rue says.

"Do you want to, Lilac?" Thresh asks me, in a more subdued way.

"Not right now, but maybe later, OK?"

He nods.

"Those two are very active, but not too bright," Poppy remarks. "Thresh is the smarter, more logical, and more cautious one, while Vine is more dangerous and less smart."

"Rue, do you want to go home?" Willow asks. Rue nods. "Let's go, honey."

Rue hops up and holds her mother's hand as we head outside into the awaiting car."

* * *

><p>When we get to the house, Rue, Poppy, and I head to Poppy's room.<p>

"How'd you get your own room?" Rue exclaimed.

"Well, I was with Rosie, but she wanted to be with Rue Lily and Daisy, so she moved to their room, and I ended up with my own."

"Lucky," Rue says.

"So, do you want me to tell you about what happened after your death?" Poppy asks. "And Lilac, this will give you an idea of all of our siblings' personalities."

"Sure," Rue and I say in unison.

"Well, after Rue's death, Ivy knew immediately she would have to take over your role as caretaker. She started to really work hard in the fields, and earned a bit of extra money in the process. That money she gave to our parents. She also began to help get everyone to and from school and such. She became like a third parent at age 11.

"At age 12, she became eligible for reaping. As you can obviously tell, she wasn't reaped, but she came pretty close."

"How so?" I interject.

"Well, when she was 15, so Dalia's first reaping, our escort accidentally picked two slips and dropped one. Instead of replacing the slips and repicking a name, which is proper protocol, she used the slip that she didn't drop. The escort got in a lot of trouble and was demoted to 12. meanwhile, after the reaping, Dalia went up and checked the slip. It had Ivy's name on it. She came that close to being reaped.

"Dalia was always shy, as I'm sure you remember. After you were reaped, she suddenly became even shyer. She eventually got over it, but we had no idea why that happened.

"Iris has always buried herself in books. After your death, she started to read more and more and more. One day, her IQ was tested: 145. That's considered genius. The Capitol found out and now wants her in the Capitol. So, when Iris turns 18, she will be headed to the Capitol - that is, if she isn't reaped first.

"Of course, you know little, energetic me."

"Of course I do!" Rue says. "Once, when you were little, I had to chase you around the house. You were one heck of a crawler."

"Rosie actually has an interesting backstory. She was born about a month after Katniss won, but our mother was too heartbroken to name her Rue, but she still wanted to name her daughter after you, so she became Rosie. The day of the Victory tour, Rosie was just a few months old, so she stayed in a daycare with other children who couldn't yet walk. She had never even seen your coffin. Meanwhile, Mom was still quite depressed, and

"Vine was born next. We could tell he was going to be an active baby, as he never stopped kicking! When he came out, he started kicking immediately, and he's been moving ever since. When Ivy goes to the Capitol, she's going to take Vine and get him tested for something called ADD.

"When Thresh and Rue were born, Mom had gotten over your death fully, and was ready to name a daughter after you, Rue. As a result, Rue Lily was named Rue. After literally 5 days of puzzling of the male's name, we came up with Thresh, your district partner.

"And then Daisy. One day, Ivy was doing some volunteer work at an orphanage here about 2 years ago. One day, a mother brought in a little white baby girl and said that she couldn't care for her. Ivy fell in love with the baby and asked Mom if we could adopt her. Mom said yes, and we did. And that's how Daisy joined our family.

"That's all for now, except little Peanut in Mom's uterus."

"Peanut?"

"We don't know the gender yet, so we've been calling the fetus Peanut."

"Aha."

"Girls, dinner!" Willow yells from downstairs. We head down and Rue's mother feeds us some nice, home-cooked mac-and-cheese. It's really, really good. Then, Cinna fetches Rue and me and we go back to the hovercraft to go to 12. Rue hugs each of her family members before heading out.

"Your family is really nice, Rue."

"I know. I'm so blessed to have them."

We board the hovercraft, head to our rooms, and fall asleep.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? I hope you liked the chapter, the longest so far, and I can't wait to finish the story - 2 more chapters! Anyway, school started today for me, so updates may be more spread out, and due to the Jewish holidays, I lose 7 writing days. But I'll work on it. The next updated chapter will be in either OTWT or Triplets. If you haven't checked those stories out, please do! Oh, and review please. I haven't really been pressing for reviews, and I won't hold off updates, but I really want reviews. It would make my day. Please?<strong>

**-goldie031**


	12. Author's Note

**Hey, everyone.**

**Well, I have "good" news - my school started on Tuesday! YAY! (sarcasm.) Anyway, as a result, I will have a lot less time to write, until my school gets us laptops, when I'll be able to type a bit in some classes. Secretly, of course. Also, I'm going to be losing 7 days of writing time in September/October. As I'm Jewish, I celebrate the Jewish holidays, so I can't use electronics or write during that time. But, I'll be doing a lot of writing otherwise, as much as I can, and after October, everything will be a lot easier because there are no holidays. Anyway, please don't think of me differently due to my religion, and I can't wait to keep writing.**

**Oh, one more thing. After my busy summer, where I wrote practically no chapters, I have a newfound desire to write. Oh, and to get reviews. So, I won't be that annoying person who will withhold chapters if I don't get reviews,but I'd appreciate getting them. A startling new chapter is in the works that I can't wait for you to read! See you then!**

**-goldie031**

**Oh, by the way, this is going into ALL OF MY STORIES. So, if you see it here, and you are following multiple stories, there is not necessarily a need to check them all.**

**-g031**


	13. Chapter 9

**Well, this is going to be a short chapter, as will the next one. But, I can tell you that it will be worth it, because there is something pretty big at the end, Those of you who are more observant will have probably figured it out already, but if not, I hope it comes as a sort of shock. After this, there will be one more chapter and then an epilogue connecting it up to Only Time Will Tell. When I do finish this, I strongly encourage you to read my other stories. Enough of a note; here's the chapter!**

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><p>"Lilac, wake up!"<p>

I open my eyes to see Rue right above me.

"What, Rue?"

"We're right above 12!"

I put on a ruffled yellow tank-top and black jeans and run to the window.

"See that, Rue? There's Victor's Village. And that's Merchant Quarter and that's the Seam."

"Cool!"

"And there's the..."

"LANDING PAD!" We exclaim, and brace ourselves for impact. The hovercraft lands without incident, thankfully.

"Come on girls," Cinna says. "Let's go."

Cinna takes us into our styling rooms. Cinna enters mine with a lilac-colored sundress, ruffly white socks, and black patent leather shoes. My hair is left down, but Cinna brushes it numerous times to keep it in nice waves.

"Perfect. Purple really does look great on you, Lilac."

"Thanks."

"Now, remember, most of 12 knows how much Katniss loves Rue. Play that up. And be fast, too. Delilah's coming home today."

"OK."

"Put this in your ear."

Cinna hands me an earbud. I put it in.

"Hi, Lilac."

"Hey, Damien!"

"So, when the train is coming relatively close, I'll let you know. If you need, hurry things up. We can always sort of slow things down as well."

"Got it. Where are you?"

"I went back to the Capitol to meet up with Delilah last night."

"Aha."

"Come on, Lilac," Cinna says, and he leads me into the Justice Building.

"You'll come out here," he says. "Keep your ears open; you shouldn't have trouble until Rue starts to speak. Then, just tell Katniss that we need to hurry up."

"Got it," I reply, and he sends me out onto the stage.

The crowd cheers when they see me. I've become the daughter/sister of almost ALL of 12, because even though I'm Merchant - better, middle class - I try my best to be friends, or at least be nice to, the whole district.

"District 12," I begin. "First of all, it is so great to be home. Getting to see two other areas of our country is really nice, but I love my home here in District 12.

"Now, many of you know the girl who I am about to bring on stage. And to one person here, this girl was everything. Now, I know why. She is sweet, caring, and kind. Even though she looks so different than the rest of us, I'm sure she'll fit right in to this community. Ladies and gentlemen, from the 74th Hunger Games, Rue McClellan!"

As Rue enters, I back up to my seat next to Katniss. She has taken me under her wing, which I truly appreciate. I look up to her.

Rue is wearing a red dress with red flats. Her hair, still straight, is back in a red headband. She looks really pretty.

As she talks, I unfortunately can't pay too much attention as half of my ear is focused on my earpiece. About 3/4 of the way through Rue's speech, I hear Damien's voice. "Hey, Lilac. What's up?"

I step back to the side of the stage. "Rue's about 3/4 of the way through. Where are you guys?"

"Half an hour away. If you finish in 10 minutes, you can make it to the station just in time."

"Got it."

I sneakily check Rue's speech; it's not too long. We should make it.

"I hope that you, the people of District 12, accept me, just as I accepted you when Katniss became my ally."

The District applauds, and Katniss and Rue embrace. Then, Katniss sweeps Rue off her feet, and Rue squeals. I think that's adorable.

I approach the microphone.

"At this point, we invite you to make your way to the train station to welcome Delilah home!"

The rest of the District leaves, but my parents and Katniss stay.

"I'm so happy you can live here with us," Katniss says.

"Me, too," Rue adds. "You were my bestest friend in the arena, and now I can really get to know you!"

"Oh, I want to show you someone," Katniss says. She goes into her house and comes back with a little girl. "This is Dalia Rue Everdeen-Mellark."

"Oh, she's precious!" Rue exclaimed. "You named her after me!"

"Because I didn't think I'd get you back," Katniss says, and they embrace again.

"I helped deliver it," I proclaim.

"Well, that's sort of true. I called Lilac when my water broke, and she rushed over. She helped me get into the birthing position and called a doctor, who managed to help me out. Nothing bad happened, thank goodness"

Rue, Katniss, my parents, and I head to the train station. Rue and Katniss are so happy to finally catch up with each other, so I'll wait to introduce Rue to my parents until after Delilah's welcome.

We make it to the train station and get to the front of the crowd. I see Spark next to me. She's my age and Delilah's closest friend.

The train pulls up much more slowly than it did last time, let me put it that way. When I was on that train, they almost missed 12 and had to stop short.

The doors open slower as well. I think this is a slower train overall.

And there she is.

The last time this happened, she ran into my arms. Now, I run into hers.

The arms of my identical twin.

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><p><strong>Ooh! Who saw that coming? I did! (No duh...)<strong>

**Just one thing. I've noticed that I have a lot of little things that change from chapter to chapter due to carelessness. To clarify: Lilac is Liac Laurel-Ember, and Rue is Rue McClellan. Just to clear that up.**

**Anyway, I hoped you liked the chapter. PLEASE review! Pretty please with a cherry on top? Please?**

**-goldie031**


	14. Chapter 10

**This is the last real chapter of Rue Returns. I can't believe it's finally here! After this we have the epilogue, and that's it. Wow, time has flown so fast! I hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far and will continue to enjoy to the end. Here we go!**

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><p>When Delilah embraces me, I feel like everything is right in the world. I finally have my twin back.<p>

"It's so good to see you," Delilah said.

"You too," I reply, and we embrace again.

Delilah goes to hug our parents, and Rue comes over and taps my shoulder. "You didn't tell me you had a twin!"

"I wanted to surprise you," I plainly reply. Rue nods.

Delilah and my mother embrace for a long time, longer than I think I did after my Games. It was really hard for Mom to have two of her daughters in the Games one right after the other. I'm proud of how she handled it.

Then, my father and Delilah embrace. My dad is very, very strong, so he always almost squeezes the life our of my sister and me. But it's sort of our special hug, and I love that. I think Delilah does, too.

Delilah then hugs Spark. The two are almost as close as sisters. I have really gotten to know Spark well over the years. But Delilah is certainly closer than me to Spark.

We are all escorted to the Justice Building for lunch. I sit in between Rue and Delilah; a perfect spot. Delilah is right next to Mayor Undersee, and my parents are across from us.

"Oh, Delilah, I never introduced you to Rue!" I exclaim. "Rue, this is Delilah. Delilah, Rue."

The two awkwardly shake hands over me.

"Why is she here?" Delilah asks me.

"Long story. The Capitol is working on bringing people back to life for some purpose, I don't know exactly what. They had tested it on animals, but never a human. So, they picked Rue, since she's so small. They decided that they needed to give Rue a place to stay. Her family is in chaos because they have a lot of kids, and Katniss has baby Dalia. So they asked me to be her adopted sister of sorts, and I agreed."

"Aha. So she'll be living with us?"

"Until she turns 18, in which case she can decide whether she will live in 11, 12, or sort of bounce between the two."

"When does she have to decide?"

"No clue. I think around 18, maybe a bit later or earlier. I mean, if she lives in 11, they're going to build a little cottage for her. But she may find her love in 12. I just don't know."

"She'll probably have to do tests when she goes to the Capitol. I mean, she will mentor, right?"

"Naturally. I'm sure of it. I'm pretty sure that the scientists working with her from the Capitol told me that."

"That'll make it easy for us. 6 mentors for 2 tributes. We can rotate!"

"Yeah, but Rue is working with both 11 and 12. She'll have her work cut out for her. I doubt that she'll be working for 12 as much as 11, and I'm also sure that she's going to have a lot more work in 11 than 12. But she'll be with us for the rest of the year."

"And we'll see her in the Capitol. I have to say, even though I went to the Capitol to fight to the death, I really like it there. It's so pretty."

"I get that. I thought the same way."

"The Games didn't change you a bit, Lilac."

"You either."

I love having these conversations with my sister, but I feel like Rue is feeling excluded, so I turn to her next.

"How are you doing, Rue?"

"Portion control," she replies. "This is torture. You see Damian right there?"

"Yeah."

"He's been serving me. There's so much yummy food and I can barely eat anything."

"I'm sorry."

"At least I'm alive. That's all I can hope for, right?"

"Right."

As the meal winds down, two desserts come out. One is red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, and the other is crème brûlée. Unfortunately, I love them both, so I just have to have both of them.

Delilah, Rue and I finally get home after a long day. We open the door to our house, and Rue looks amazed at the size of everything. "So this is what a Victor's Village house looks like! They're so big."

"But they might be different specified to each district. For example, 10 houses may have bigger yards than here. You know, because of all the livestock."

"Yeah."

We go up to Delilah and my room. The three of us look up and down, trying to figure out how to fit a third bed into the room.

"Maybe we could just sleep in different rooms.." Delilah suggests.

"No, I want to be with both you and Rue!" I exclaim. "Is there any way to work with this room?"

"Maybe we can combine it with the next room over..."

"No clue how!"

"Well, maybe we can all sleep together for today but then switch rooms later."

"OK!"

We move a third mattress from another room into Delilah and my room. Rue helps me to make her bed with some light yellow sheets. Before we knw it, it's late, so we have a light dinner and get into bed.

Right when I'm comfortable, I hear Rue crying.

"Rue, are you OK?"

"No. I miss my mom and dad and siblings. I want to go back home!"

Rue comes into my bed and I hug her. "You'll be fine, Rue. I know you're homesick, I was too. But you'll go back home soon enough."

"I know," she says, and we snuggle until I feel her breath grows heavy.

It's hard to believe that Rue and I only met a few days ago. I feel like I've known her forever.

I feel like we're really sisters.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry this is such a short chapter. I had wanted to make it the same chapter as the last chapter, but I wanted that element of surprise. But the chapter is 1,000 words!<strong>

**Anyway, I can't believe that this is the last chapter of the story! The epilogue will be up soon and then, we're done! It really is bittersweet.**

**-goldie031**


	15. Epilogue

**Well, here we are. The epilogue. This will link up ****Rue Returns**** to ****Only Time Will Tell****. I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><span>15 Years Later...<span>

"Well, tomorrow's reaping day, huh?" Delilah says to me. Her, Rue, and I are eating breakfast and preparing for Rue to head to 11. Neither Rue nor us have had any Victors since Delilah won and Rue came back to life. But, this year, we have a better shot. Since there are 8 tributes from each of our districts, that gives each of us such a better chance to win. We have to deal with 8 angry families - of course that's a maximum, because siblings could go in together - rather than just 2.

"Yup," Rue replies. "I think that us mentors dread this day more than the rest of the district!"

"Uh-huh," I conclude.

Delilah butters a piece of toast and begins to eat it. Rue brushes out her hair. I grab a bowl and pour cereal in.

Tension on the day before Reaping Day is just as tense as Reaping Day itself.

Delilah runs upstairs. Her boyfriend, Arean, is coming here today and she needs to get ready.

Rue lets me braid her hair like we do every year. It's sort of tradition.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah. Oh, and you know I'm also going to 11 later this year for Poppy's wedding, right?"

"Yeah. You need to find someone for yourself too!"

"I'll work on it," Rue says, smiling.

Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

"Hey, D! Arean is here!" Rue yells. Delilah runs down, putting her hair in a headband with one hand and spraying perfume with the other. She opens the door.

"Hey, Arean," Delilah says calmly.

"Hi," Arean says. He has a picnic basket in one hand. "Do you wanna go to the meadow?"

"Sure."

Arean escorts Delilah out the door.

"When's the hovercraft coming?"

"No clue. Probably about 11."

"Do you want to come with me to visit my mother?"

"Sure."

My mom was moved to a nursing home about 2 years ago, when my father passed away.

Rue and I head to the nursing home to visit my mother. We spend a bunch of time with her, and it makes her feel a bit better. Mom's been sick lately, but I don't know what I'd do if she left me.

After two nice hours, Rue and I head home to prepare for the hovercraft. Rue slips on a yellow dress and black heels, and grabs her bag.

"I love you, Lilac."

"You too."

The hovercraft touches down right outside our house. Rue heads up the ramp and waves goodbye, and I see her disappear.

Heading back into the house, I go up to my room. It's unbelievable how much my life has changed for the better in 15 short years. And sure, sometimes we have rough days, and Rue has had numerous nightmares, but we got through it.

I am so happy that fate brought Rue to me. Because I can't imagine my life without her.

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><p><strong>So, that's the story. I can't believe I finished it! I strongly hope you enjoyed it.<strong>

**I want to thank BecomingAmanda, Buttercup XD XD, Reni Readiris, RioluRules13, TheHangingTreeGirl, Toadetterocks13, androidilenya, brigrove, dahorserida, disneygirl0909, dtlwheels, egoats, idontknow742, xoWriterChickxo, BlackRosePorcelain, Cool Story Bro' Can I eat it, Icepath-Snowing, TeamLIVitUP, blackestrose94, and read-read-read99 for following and/or favoriting my story. Rue Returns got 32 reviews and 3,943 views at this point. I just wanted to thank everyone for reading my story. It's been great to have such a supportive community helping me to grow as a writer. Thanks to everyone!**

**PLEASE check out my other stories. You can find the links on my profile. I hope to find you guys still reading and reviewing those.**

**Thanks again for all of the support. I love you all!**

**-goldie031**


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